William ezra worthen



Nt'rnn STATES WILLIAM EZRA WORTHEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,133, dated March 27, 1894.

Application filed May 6, 1893- Serial No. 473,296- (No model.)

To 04% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EZRA WOR- THEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Locomotives, of which the following is a specification,

It is well known that accidents frequently occur in tunnels and elsewhere, because the smoke and steam from the stack of the locomotive obscure the signals or the track, so that the engineer dpes not discover that the signals are set for danger, or that the track is obstructed, while the gas fills the tunnels and is offensive and dangerous.

My invention consists in means whereby the steam may be condensed and the smoke and other solid particles precipitated, to which end, I combine with the exhaust nozzle of thelocomotive and with the smoke-box, a condenser as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of sufficient of a locomotive engine to illustrate my improvement; Fig. 2, a similar elevation illustrating my improvement in a somewhat different form and arrangement.

The boiler A with its tubes and fire box and the running gear of the locomotive is of any usual or suitable construction,and these parts have only been partially shown as their particular construction is immaterial. At the forward end of the boiler is the usual smokebox X and into this chamber extends the exhaust tubes, terminating in the exhaust nozzle B, a branch 5 of which communicates with a condenser D. As shown, the condenser is in the form of a hollow cylinder or receptacle having side openings w communicating with the smoke-box, and adjustable ring valves for regulating said openings and the condenser communicates at its lower end with a pipe 10, constituting a discharge pipe, and is contracted at the upper end and provided with a nozzle 14, which is closed by the tapering end 13 of a valve I, a cylindrical portion 12 of the valve fitting an opening in the branch 5 and acting as a valve for a port to between the branch 5 and the condenser D. Ordinarily, the exhaust steam passes as usual from the nozzle B and to the stack J of the locomotive,

the products of combustion from the combustion chamber also being carried upward and through the stack. With the construction shown, however, by elevating the valve I, communication is afforded between the nozzle B and the condenser and the exhaust steam, it directed to the branch 5 will flow downward and through the nozzle 14, acting as an injector to draw in the products of combustion from the chamber X through the openings w into the condenser D, and discharge them through the pipe 10. To this end, it is desirable that when this result is to be accomplished, the smoke stack J shall be closed, for which it is provided with a damper 21 in the shape of a butterfly valve, which is connected by a rod 22 to a lever 20, connected by a rod 19 to the valve 12, so that when the valve is raised to open the communication between the nozzle B and the condenser, the damper 21 will be closed, and the exhaust steam will find its best outlet through the pipe 5 into the condenser.

In order that the exhaust steam may be condensed, and the smoke and other particles precipitated, Iprovide means whereby when the communication is open betwen the nozzle and the condenser, a stream of water shall be passed through the condenser, meeting both the steam and the smoke.

As shown in Fig. 1, there is'a tank 8, communicating with a water pipe 9, having at the front end a movable scoop 30 connected by a rod 31 with the engine cab so that the engineer by lowering the scoop 30, when the engine is in motion, can cause a stream of water to pass upward through portsy covered by the flanges of a cap valve 15, which is raised by the force of the water, and into the receptacle 8 within the smoke-box; This receptacle 8 communicates through a pipe 7 with the upper portion of the co'ndenserD above the nozzle 14, and when the valve 12 is lifted, its lower tapering end which closes the contracted portion of the condenser, or upper end of the nozzle 14, will be raised to permit the water to flow from the chamber 8 into the condenser, meeting both the steam and the smoke, and condensing the steam and precipitating all the solid particles so that neither steam nor smoke can escape from the outlet 10, and the air is thus kept clear so as not to interfere with the sight of signals, switches, &c., by the engineer.

Where the tracks are not provided with the usual tanks from which the water can be scooped up, other means than that described may be employed for supplying water to the condenser; for instance, there may be a pipe 25 running back to the tender and communicatihg with the upper part of the condenser below the port w, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be apparent that any other suitable water receptacle may be provided with a pipe connecting it with the upper part of the condenser so as to be controlled by the valve I, or other valve.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, I provide a valve 18 for closing the upper end of the nozzle B when the valve 12 is raised. As shown, the valve 18 is connected by a rod 38 with one branch of a T-lever 20 whichisconnected by a rod 23 with the cab of the engine so that the engineer can, by moving said rod, shift the position of the lever 20 and control the positions of the valve I, the damper 21, and the valve 18.

It will be evident that an injector and condenser of different construction together with a different valve arrangement from that illustrated may be employed. I have shown one construction only for the purpose of illustrating my invention, it being simply necessary to deflect the exhaust steam into a receptacle which also receives the products of combustion from the smoke-box and a stream of water, and conducts the whole to a discharge pipe or outlet.

It will be evident that in some cases the condensing of the exhaust may be a means of increasing the draft and the combustion and securing additional power Condensing the exhaust steam alone, reduces the back pressure on the steam cylinders, and therefore increases the power of the locomotive; it may not do so if it is undertaken to condense the smoke at the same time, but the first will be of use fora short run leaving the smoke stack open for a natural draft with the smoke boxes and stacks as at present constructed.

Without limiting myselfto the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention 1. A locomotive provided with a condenser communicating with the exhaust nozzle and with the smoke box, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the exhaust nozzle of a locomotive, of a condenser communicating with the said nozzle and with the smokebox and with awater supply pipe,and avalve controlling the communication between the exhaust nozzle and the condenser, and also between the water supply pipe and the condenser, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a locomotive of the exhaust nozzle and a valve closing the top of the same,a condenser communicating With the exhaust nozzle and with the smoke-box, a water pipe com municatingWiththecondenser, a valve controlling the combination between the exhaust nozzle and the water pipe and the condenser, and means for shifting the said valve from the cab,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the exhaust nozzle, condenser, water pipe and controlling valve, and a dam per arranged in the Smokestack, and connected to be closed as the valve opening the communication between the nozzle and the condenser is opened, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the exhaust nozzle, condenser, water pipe, controlling valve, and a valve 18 for closing the exhaust nozzle, and damper within the Smokestack, and a lever connected'with the valve and damper and with a rod extending to the cab, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with the exhaust nozz1e,0fa condenser communicating with a discharge pipe or outlet and with the smoke-box, and provided with a nozzle 14, a water pipe communicating with the condenser above said nozzle and a valve closing the communication between the exhaust nozzle and the condenser, and between the water pipe and the upper end of the nozzle 14, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the exhaust nozzle, condenser, controlling valve, and water pipe, of a receptacle 8 and a pipe communicating with said receptacle and extending downward and provided with a scoop, and means for adjusting the scoop from the cab, subtantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

W'ILLIAM EZRA VVORTIIEN.

Witnesses:

ROBERT E. IIAWLEY, JUSTIN W. PEUQUET. 

